ION: Nesting
by Kuro Rakka Shimo
Summary: The big day continues to draw closer, and the Chipettes have began to hide themselves away in preparation. However, having never done this before, they still get a little help, asked for or not.
1. Chapter 1

"Oookay… C'mon dammit, just fit!" Brittany grunted, trying to bend a twig into its place beneath another few. She grit her teeth, growling a little as she managed to get it to budge… only for the twig to snap, sending her staggering back a little. Luckily, she was nestled up inside the hollow of their backyard tree, her back up against the "wall" She groaned, shaking her head as she threw the broken twig down. "Great! Ugh, I could do it on the dumb island but not here!" She shouted, only to double over, groaning.

Now was the time to start settling down. About a day or two ago, she suddenly found herself trying to… stay away from Alvin. Matter of fact, she was staying as far from anyone else as she could. Something in the back of her mind was telling her to find her own little place, and she heeded the call.

Her tail flicked side to side as she stared down at her creation. She didn't have any vines or flowers to decorate and really hold it together… All she had to a nest was a foundation of interwoven twigs, cushioned by blades of grass and leaves. She wanted to go back inside and find _something _to add to the pile. Just… anything to make it more comfortable. It wasn't working. She couldn't even find a single feather! And she certainly wasn't about to sacrifice her clothes to it neither.

Brittany stood up slowly, taking a deep breath. "Okay in there, don't make mommy throw up today. I gotta finish this nest." Brittany said as she rubbed along her stomach. It sent a little wave of relief through her… but she had to keep working.

She climbed out of the hollow, claws hooked to the trunk while she walked on down. With a huff, Brittany fought against the tugging instincts. She made her way back to the house, climbing through the doggy door and setting herself down on the floor. She sniffed the air a few times. No one was nearby… Good.

Brittany had to move quick. Just not enough to upset the pups. She was headed straight for the living room, trying to sneak her way around while she sniffed the air again to be sure. Still no signs of anyone else. Her tail curled around as she tiptoed along to the couch, hopping up on it to feel through each pillow. One of these had memory foam in it… which one was it again?

While she was searching, however, she kept her ears perked up. Her body kept saying she was being watched, but she kept to it anyway. Right as she found the right pillow, she released her claws and began to dig at it. However…

"Britt…? Hey! Brittany! Brittany, what're you doing?" Alvin's voice rang in the room. She didn't have time to react, her mate had cleared the distance between them in no time, slowing himself down enough to throw his arms around her. "Britt! What the heck is going on? I didn't see you at all yesteday, and the day before you were acting like you never knew me! But don't worry, I asked Simon and he knew the answer!"

Brittany squirmed in his hold. He had lifted her off of the couch. She wanted to hug him back, but that voice kept telling her she wasn't done yet. "Alviiiin, put me down!"

"Oh, right, right! Babies." Alvin set her down on the couch, swishing his tail. "Look! Si told me you girls would start being all distant and junk, over instincts or whatever, so I thought maybe I could at least help you out before you shut me out completely!" He reached into the pocket of his jacket and, somehow, produced a second jacket, holding it out to her.

"Alvin… I can handle this myself." Brittany said as she sniffed at the jacket. Oh… his scent was all over it… she wanted to snatch it from him. Badly "Honest. It'll be alri-"

"Brittany, they're gonna be _my_ kids too, you know. I-If you're really gonna go and be off on your own, I at least wanna be there in some way!" Alvin blurted out, keeping the jacket out towards her. His voice was heavy, suddenly shaky. She could see it all in his face alone.

She swore at the inner voice, demanding it left her alone for now. Brittany threw her arms around Alvin, hugging his head to her chest, then she nudged him down towards her belly. Alvin sighed, gently pressing his ear up against her stomach then, closing his eyes. "You know, Alvin… I kinda liked that little hut you made on the island. You think you could help me make something?" She offered.

The look that came to Alvin's face made her smile. In his eyes was a spark of joy and excitement, that usual Alvin grin spreading out. "Tell me what you need! I'll get it, no problem!"

"How do you feel about a little destruction first?" She asked, gesturing to the memory foam pillow.

"Hehe… I thought you'd never ask~"

* * *

It took a while, but it was fun. Brittany would go through the house and point out what she'd need, and Alvin would help her tear it apart and bring it outside. First was the memory foam. They only needed half of it, and the two of them enjoyed tearing it down the middle. While they set it in the tree, Alvin tossed his jacket onto the nest as well.

The foam went on top of the actual nest, not having a single twig poke out from beneath. Alvin's jacket, however… Brittany decided just to keep it close to where she'd be laying. "For personal reasons." She explained.

Their second trip got them back to the shared bedroom. Shockingly, no one was in there either. Where was everyone else?

From there, they tore from the blankets on both of their beds. Alvin had to chew through it some to get a good tear going, but they eventually got enough material for a trip back.

They folded the blankets down as much as they could, and Alvin stuffed it inside of his jacket to carry. On the way to the tree, Alvin suddenly ducked off to the neighbor's house. Brittany watched him go over, waiting for him to come back. When he did, her tail started to wag. He swiped four lilies, two of them red and two of them pink. She would have scolded him for stealing, but the proud look he had on his face was priceless.

"Anything else you need?" He asked as he approached her, careful to not crush the flowers in his hold.

Brittany paused to think. "Hmm… I dunno. But hey, you're strong aren't you? How about you be a good dad and gimme a hand building this nest?"

To that, Alvin poked his tongue out at her. "I hope that wasn't some sort of challenge, Britt. You know I don't lose."

"Oh, it was. It's just we're on the same team this time." Brittany says as she takes hold of his paw, taking the flowers from him. "Now come on. I wanna be done before the sun goes down."

Alvin, with a wagging tail, nodded and gave a playful bow of courtesy. "M'lady. Your room awaits. Would you like your luggage carried for you?" He asked, peeking up at her with a smile. Brittany snorted, playing along as she gave her best bow back. "Why thank you. But I'm afraid my room's on the next floor. How are you gonna get everything there in one go?"

In response, Alvin turned around, kneeling in the grass with his back to her. "All aboard~" He hummed, swishing his tail through the grass as he waited. "Oh, and don't worry about that tummy of yours. I've carried more weight than that~"

"Oh, now you're just showing off." Brittany gave his rear a little kick, but she climbed onto his back nonetheless, arms wrapped around his neck and legs lightly clinging to his waist. "Okay, let's see what you've got, Mr. Macho." She encouraged.

It took more effort than normal, but Alvin managed to stand up straight with a grunt, taking slow steps towards the tree, all while making sure he was leaning forward so Brittany wouldn't fall.

"Heh… Ya see? It's like nothin'!" Alvin boasted, smiling as he puffed his chest out some. "I bet I could carry you like this all the time!" He said proudly. Brittany just sighed and rubbed her nose into his fur, taking a few sniffs as he carried her to the tree. "Yeah… Keep telling yourself that and I'll make it happen."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Britt. Watch!"

The rest of the trip was, for once, quiet. Alvin didn't say much when they reached the tree trunk, and Brittany didn't say anything as he climbed up for both of them. Not until they both were in the hollow again, overlooking Brittany's nest.

"Sooooo… It looks, uh… comfy." Alvin commented, shrugging his shoulders as he pulled the blanket from in his jacket. "I mean, yeah, it just looks like a memory foam bed, but those are good for sleeping!" He said, draping the first blanket out; some of his red one. Then he started to lay out the pink blanket they had gotten off of Brittany's bed.

Scoffing, Brittany rolled her eyes, going around the makeshift bed to set the flowers down, one at each corner. "Alvin… Thanks for helping. Really." She said. "I think that'll be enough."

Alvin's ears drooped down when she said that, his tail thumping lightly against the floor. "O-Oh. Right, right… uh, well, if that's all you needed then… I'll be on my way then. You c-can call me if you need me..." He told her, turning away to head for the hollow's exit.

As he turned around, Brittany pouted. She took a deep breath and, quickly rushing over to him, grabbed his paw. When he turned to face her, she quickly planted a kiss right on his lips, grasping his shoulders and pulling him as close to her as possible, not letting him go.

His eyes widened in surprise, taking a step back a little before he soon melted into the kiss as well, cupping Brittany's cheeks with both paws in the process. Brittany held him in their lip lock, sighing softly through her nose as she leaned into him, her paws going from his shoulders to his back.

By the time Brittany released him, they were both panting a little, staring down each other. "I d-don't get it… Britt, they're _our_ kids, why would you wanna be off on your own? I know I can be a screw up and all, Britt, but I can _try _to change it!"

"Alvin..."

"I mean, I get why you'd w-want me to be away, but still! Britt, please don't make me stay away, I swear it I'll be good!"

"Alvin. Listen."

"Look, if I messed something up just say it already so I can fix it, will ya?! I'm trying my best here! And you're still just gonna- Hrf!"

"ALVIN!" Brittany covered his mouth with her paw, sighing. "It's not _me _that wants to be alone. I want you to be around! I want you to be here as much as possible! I don't know how I'll manage to do all this, but I want you to come around as much as you can." She said, looking right at him. "Look… if I say something… or do something different than how YOU know I'd act… it's not me. It's instincts, okay? I want you to keep me from always acting on them." She sighed, reaching to wipe his eyes on her sleeve. "Don't cry. Just… be there to help me out, okay?"

Sniffing, Alvin nodded his head. He moved from her paw, sitting down with a sigh. "I-I'm sorry for yelling. It's just... Everything's happening so fast, ya know? I mean, we aren't doing music anymore, you girls are pregnant, and we're all having all this stuff change. And it hasn't even been a whole month!" He pouted then. "Sometimes I think that... I shoulda stayed quiet. Just… jerked myself off instead of bringing all you guys into this mess."

Brittany sat down at his side then, taking his paw and putting it on her belly. "Alvin… it's alright. We'll get through it just fine, and our family's gonna be bigger. That's all that's gonna change." She said, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder. "Besides. You can be pretty responsible when you need to be."

Alvin's tail wagged slowly from the compliment. "And you can be responsible, like, always. Guess there are something you do better than me." he said, starting to rub on her stomach again.

"Yeah yeah, hooray for you…" Brittany nuzzled up to him, letting out her own sigh as she just looked out to the yard.

"We'll be alright."


	2. Chapter 2

"Let's see here... Pillow, check. Blanket, check. Back up pillow, check." Jeanette tapped her foot as she observed her little area.

She was in the study, having set up her would-be nest on the desk. It took some work, but she could handle it just fine. The pillow wasn't too heavy, and her stomach didn't get in the way. The only hassle was the blanket, and all she had to do was ask Dave to cut off a section for her.

Good thing he was still around to be a help. But, as they had requested, he left them to their own devices for the most part, checking in here and there.

Smiling, she put a paw down on her stomach, rubbing it softly. "You're all causing such a fuss…" she spoke softly.

The process of preparation wasn't too bad. That is, as long as her cravings stayed away. She thought those would have gone away by now, but no. If anything, she just ended up adding more and more to that list of foods she would suddenly want- no… need.

Chocolate syrup on a pickle. Ice cream drizzled with lemon juice. Peanut butter… nothing extra. Just sometimes she really, _really _wanted some peanut butter. And, of course, her initial craving of marshmallows with a side of hot sauce.

Before all this, she wouldn't have considered most of the combinations, but now she couldn't get enough. It was just a gamble as to what she'd want.

"Okay, and I'll put the towel over th-" Jeanette paused. Her stomach let out a low growl. Oh no.

Whining, she got down on her knees, cradling her belly as it growled again. "Gaah… f-fine, fine, I'll go eat! What're we getting this time? Eggs with fruit mashed in?" She asked with a roll of her eyes.

Jeanette had to abandon her project, carefully climbing off the desk and landing in the swivel chair behind it, holding her stomach all the way as she went over to the door. Luckily, she left it open.

She hobbled her way out of the room, heading straight for the kitchen. While she was making her way down the hall, she jumped a little as she heard a turning handle, followed by a door swinging open to reveal…

"Oh. Hey Jeanette. How's the nest coming along?" Simon asked as he spotted her, hopping out of their bedroom. When he saw her paws at her belly, however, he understood immediately. "I see… what is it this time? Pretzels covered in honey?"

"N-No." Jeanette looked off to the side, pouring. "It's… peanut butter… again." She admitted sheepishly.

Simon nodded. "Well… that's the fifth time this week." He commented, "Let's go and get you full again. And, if you would like, I could help you with finishing up your nest." He added, walking over to her so he could hug her from the side.

"Hmm… Sudden, but appreciated. Thank you, Simon." Jeanette said, letting out a little sigh as she scooted closer to him.

She didn't know what happened with Simon, but she liked it. He was acting more like himself ever since yesterday. Whatever happened, she wasn't about to question it. Instead, she just leaned into his embrace, letting him lead the way.

Simon brought her to the kitchen as fast as he could, having her wait on the floor while he hopped onto the counter. She watched as he rummaged about through the cabinets.

"Oh! Be careful up there!" She squeaked out. "A-And, uh… if you don't mind, can you get some marshmallows too?"

"I think we need a chart for your cravings, Jeanette." Simon teased her, opening one of the doors to nudge the bag of marshmallows out. "Especially this close to what might be the due date… I don't know if I was able to map it correctly."

Hearing that, Jeanette tilted her head. "Map it…? You've been keeping track?" She asked. Simon peeked out another cabinet, nudging the peanut butter jar out next, letting it clatter on the counter before he jumped out onto the marshmallows.

"Well, I just figured that someone ought to." He admitted, knocking the food down once more before landing in front of Jeanette. "We have a lot of work to do either way. And… I want you to have the most comfortable spot possible."

Jeanette's cheeks blushed under her fur. "Awwwh, well aren't you sweet?" She cooed, crawling over to pick up the marshmallow bag, sniffing at it a few times. Oh… That sweet, sweet smell alone almost satisfied her hunger. But another growl from her stomach demanded more. "Let's hurry back… before I end up eating all of these right here." She said with a little laugh, hugging the bag to her chest as she lead the way back to the study.

Simon watched her go. To himself, he let out a sigh, his tail wagging a little as he looked over her body from behind. How lucky was he?

"By the way, I didn't ask but… what exactly are you planning for your nest?" Simon asked as he picked up the peanut butter and raced after her. "I have to admit my curiosity's heightened over what you girls would make…"

"I'd tell you… But you gotta swear you won't laugh!" Jeanette said as she came to the study door. Thank goodness it was still open enough for her. She slipped inside, squeezing through just fine. "It's kinda silly, but I thought it was a good idea…"

Simon followed her inside, ears perked with interest as he entered the room with her. He rolled the jar forward, spotting her up on top of the desk. She was looking over at the bookshelf.

"Well, uh, I was kinda thinking that I could make a fort, you know? Just… made out of books… I wanted to do more than just a pillow and stuff!" She had already torn into the bag, two little marshmallows being stuffed into her cheeks now. She said… something that sounded close to "peanut butter please", so Simon was quick to carry the jar up to her, careful on the swivel chair.

"...A book fort?" echoed Simon. "Don't you think it'd be a bit…" Simon bit his tongue then, nudging the jar to Jeanette's side. "Hrf! Right. A book fort. Good idea Jean." He says as he hops up onto the desk with her. "The pillow's medium size, so I'd say… We'd need maybe four books to make the walls. Two for the roof, if you'll have one, and maybe another four to support it."

Jeanette, having already wrenched off the jar's cap and stuffed her paw inside, sat down with another marshmallow ready. She made sure to tilt the jar over so she could reach in easier.

All this eating still felt… weird. She was never one for packing on before. It was a miracle the only real weight gain she had was from the pups inside of her. "Oh Simon. I know it's a silly idea, okay? But I really wanna try it, at least. If it makes you feel any better, we'll leave out the roof. And we can spread two of the books so that there's still an easy entrance." She spoke.

"Well, I wasn't going to say silly but… that does make me feel a little bit better." Simon admitted, plopping down in front of Jeanette, watching her as she ate. "And... that really satisfies you?"

The Chipette nodded her head, gulping down her mouthful as she went to licking her paw clean of any leftover peanut butter. "Your kids have weird tastes, I guess. I've never thought of doing this before, that's for sure." she said, sweeping her tail over the top of the desk. "You know, it feels a lot better when I rub them." She pointed out, purposely leaning back a little.

It didn't take an Einstein to catch her drift.

Simon, scooting a little closer, put a hand on top of her stomach, slowly stroking through the fur. The sensation was rather nice. Beneath her soft fur, a definite firmness that was her belly. She felt warmer than ever before, and yet she wasn't running a fever or anything. Hell, her face looked absolutely content as long as his paw was moving through her fur.

Her content sighs, the way her breathing slowed(whenever she wasn't eating, of course), and how she arched up a little against his paw… "Mmmmn… Simon, that feels really… really nice…~" Jeanette almost sounded like she was moaning. Almost. It put a fresh blush under his cheeks. It was good knowing he could still please her, in one way or another.

"Hey… Jeanette, out of sheer curiosity… have you had any… urges as of late?" Simon suddenly asked before he could stop himself. Her ears perked up, her gaze going to him as she set a peanut butter coated marshmallow down. "Urges…? Oh! You mean for sex, right?"

"Well, y-you don't have to say it so bluntly now… but yes."

"Oh come now. I'm already pregnant, how much further can we go?" Jeanette teased, letting her head rest in Simon's lap. "You trying to say that I shouldn't talk about it?"

"What?! N-No, not at all! I was just wondering i-if you ever found yourself needy is all!" Simon quickly blurted out. Jeanette laughed a little, rolling onto her side so she was facing Simon's stomach, burying her nose in his fur for a bit. "You're so silly… of course I have those feelings still. I just dunno if I should act on them or not. Don't wanna possibly hurt the little ones, right?"

Simon's tail flicked a few times. Then, he let out a yelp. Jeanette's paw brushed against his crotch slowly, making him look down at her.

"You feel the same way?"

"...y-yeah, a little."

Jeanette hummed. "Awwh, poor guy. Well, that's what paws are for, Simon. You help me finish up the nest, and we can have some alone time inside when it's done. Fair?"

It was a shock, but Jeanette still hadn't moved her paw. She meant it. "I think you've got yourself a deal." He said quickly.

"Good! I'm full now, so how about we get to work?" Jeanette offered, slowly sitting up and stretching. "Let's hurry before I end up wanting to eat a whole fish or something."

* * *

The task wasn't too tough in the long run. With Jeanette still mostly mobile, she was able to help retrieve and stack books almost as much as Simon. Not to mention, the bookshelf being in the same room was a bonus. She even seemed alright with hopping up on the chair and desk again and again, though she visibly hesitated going down. That's when Simon stepped in to help her, carrying her in his arms each trip down.

Exhausting, for sure, but he made himself power through. His friend, his mate, needed a place to be, and he wasn't going to stop until it was done. Plus a potential handjob was a very beckoning reward.

'_Ugh… I feel like Alvin.' _he thought whenever that little reward worked itself back into his head.

But, nonetheless, the two chipmunks powered through it once they had a fair amount of books on the desk to work with. First to set up was the pillow. Or, more accurately, the smaller pillow on top of the main one, as well as the accompanying towel and blanket. Next part was the actual fort. Simon would stand a book up, and Jeanette would be on the other side holding it steady until the supporting book could be added, or the next book placed at its side to keep it from collapsing. The pages inside tried to close in, but luckily the pillow blocked them from doing so. And it kept them standing as well.

By the time they were done, the whole pillow was surrounded, save for one opening facing the back wall of the room. The books didn't reach around all the way, and they didn't use another one to close it up. And, as promised, they didn't include the roof. Mostly. For privacy's sake, Simon went ahead and draped a few sheets of paper on top the structure.

Jeanette was first inside, circling around on the pillow some before laying down on it with a sigh. "Yeah… this was a good idea for sure~" She hummed, nuzzling at the top of the pillow. "And nothing fell down! See Simon? Silly, but it works~"

"Heh. Yeah, you showed me for sure." Simon said, approaching on all fours and peeking inside. "And you're sure you'll be alright? I can move some of my stuff in here if it'd make you feel better."

"It's alright, Simon. Really." Jeanette insisted. "Though… if I remember right, I promised something when we finished." She said, looking down at Simon with a sudden desire in her gaze.

Simon's blush was back. He scratched at the back of his head. "Y-You don't have to follow through with that. I'm glad enough to have helped you out." He insisted.

Jeanette didn't budge. "And I want to help you in return. Besides, you can do the same for me while we're at it. So will get in here, or do I have to use the D word like when we first did it?"

"...Jeanette, you're amazing." Simon managed to say, his heart thumping away in his chest as he entered the little fort. The two were moaning not too long after, completely hidden off in their little fort as they indulged in each other.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N**_

_**Err... sorry this one took longer to come out. And, well, ended up being shorter than the others. Buuuut I had things to do that I don't have to explain to anyone. Either way, hope you enjoy it anyways!**_

* * *

Eleanor let out a pleasant little hum as she dragged a bag of chips behind her, her tail swishing lazily as she brought it to the living room.

Making a nest was a breeze when it was already made for you! All she did was set up shop on the couch. If she needed privacy, she'd drag a pillow over to hide behind. Simple as that, and she'd still be able to see the tv without a problem.

Still humming, she set the bag to her left, and got the tv's remote from her right. Everyone had been telling her not to move around as much… like that would stop her! Eleanor flicked on the tv, her tail wagging slowly as she flipped through the channels.

"Jungle Monster…? Eh, alright." She shrugged, tossing the remote aside as she dug into her chips. The movie was so cheesy, who could ever say it's a scary movie? The costume looked terrible, the effects were lame, the story made no sense at all, the actors sounded bored all the time, and worst of all-

"Hey Ellie? You in here?"

Crap. Eleanor quickly took up the remote again, pausing the movie and turning to see Theodore enter the living room. "Ah! Jeez, gosh Theo, what is it?" She asked, ears twitching a little as she watched him approach, letting the movie play again. Theodore sidled up to the couch, giving himself a shake before he leapt up to her side, smiling as he sat down next to her. "Just wanted to see how you were doing. Haven't talked to you in a-"

"Theodore… Really. It's been an hour, maybe even less than that." Eleanor said as she put her paw up. "I'm fine! I don't need everybody to keep on checking in on me, okay? I can walk still, I can carry things around, I can jump, I can _do _things." She said firmly, looking right at him. "Get it? I'm. Fine."

However, seeing Theodore's expression change made a wave of guilt wash over her. She knew what he looked like when he was holding back tears. His paws moved closer to his chest, his ears were flat on his head, and his tail curled around to cover his feet. All telltale signs.

She bit her lip, sighing as she hefted herself to her feet, careful to not fall forward as she walked to him, giving her mate the best hug she could manage to. "Oh… Theodore, I'm sorry. I just," Eleanor paused to wipe his face on her sleeve. "Everyone's driving me crazy. If I had a dollar for every time I got checked on in the last couple days alone, I could buy a crib for everyone, including the babies!" She complained. "I know I haven't done this before, but I can handle it."

Theodore sighed, nodding his head slowly. "Yeah… you're right…" He mumbled, looking to his feet. "I was just… worried, is all. I-I dunno why, I know you can handle yourself. But something keeps telling me to check Like, if I don't do it, something might go wrong..." Slowly, he managed to look up to Eleanor's face. "You know what that's like? Just something nagging and nagging at you to do something until you do it, and it might even stay after you do it."

"Yeah." Eleanor sat down, patting the spot right next to her. "That's what I've been having ever since I got the baby bump. Always gotta run off, always gotta try making a nest somewhere. Always getting kicked even if I go and do what I have to. Sorta kinda sucks a lot."

"Well…" Theodore settled down at her side, giving her a hug from the side, rubbing his cheek against hers. "I only wanted to see you this time. Really." He says, turning his gaze up to her. He smiled, holding out a paw. "May I…?"

Eleanor smiled back, sidling against one of the pillows as she nodded. "Go ahead, big guy. The haven't been kicking around much today." She said, watching as Theodore put his paw down on her belly. She bit down on her lip, shivering a little as he began to rub around, feeling that gentle pressure across the surface of her belly. "Ohh… Mmf, that's niiiice…"

"Wow Ellie… it feels so, uh… firm." Theodore mumbled out. "Do you… like it when I rub it?" He asked, keeping his paw moving along her stomach while the other one moved up to cup her cheek.

"You have n-no idea." Eleanor huffed out. "Kinda makes me… ya know."

That made Theodore's cheeks darken. "O-Oh! Uh, well, I mean I can get it up if you want and we can play around… I dunno how m-much we could do with your belly in the way though."

"Theo! Not like that, silly!" squeaked Eleanor. "I'm round enough as is! Just… don't stop, is all." She said as she relaxed again, resting her paws at her sides. "It helps me feel better. You've got no idea how weird it is feeling them when they start to kick about. Or make me feel like I'll barf." Eleanor gripped the pillow at her side, biting down on her lip as she curled her toes. "They seem to really… really like the attention though."

"Uh, you've been saying they a lot lately… You think there's more than one?" Theodore's ears lifted up curiously as he stared at her stomach. "I mean… It'd kinda make sense but I dunno…"

Eleanor put her paw on top of his head, rubbing behind his ear softly. "Theo, your mom had three kids. And so did mine. I think we're definitely gonna have more than one." She said. "And when they come on out, something tells me they're really gonna like their daddy. I know I do~"

"Awww… Well, they're gonna look like their mommy. Two girls, I bet!" Theodore said with a wagging tail, both of his hands rubbing the expanse of Eleanor's stomach while he pressed his ear up against it. "Real pretty… know all about good food… have the best singing voice… Being the most beautiful green gumdrops around..."

"Heh. You talking about the little ones, or me~?" Eleanor teased him. Watching Theodore huff and blush and hide his face against her stomach made her laugh, gently rubbing along the back of his head while she watched the display.

Theodore was quick to change the subject. "So! What're you gonna do for a nest? I haven't seen you doing a whole lot…"

Eleanor shrugged. "You're sitting on it, big butt. I didn't wanna work hard, okay? The couch has everything I need! Plenty comfort, warmth, lots of pillows, and a perfect view of the tv! By the way… how come you aren't freaking out? I thought you hated monster movies."

A halfhearted scream came from the tv then, almost as if on cue, but Theodore didn't react at all. Well… he jumped a little, but that was it. Then, while looking her right in the eyes, he said something she didn't expect.

"Ellie? We survived high school, an exploding island, me, Alvin, and Simon got chased across the country, and I ba- er… did it with your sisters and you didn't hate me afterwards. Compared to all that? I'm not scared of no Jungle Monster." He said with a smile.

"W-Wow. Pretty direct there, Theo."

"...Well, uh, the fifth movie still gets to me a little."

Snorting, Eleanor gives him another hug, rubbing on his arm as she pulls him closer. "Guess we all did a good amount of growing up, huh? I remember crawling out of a package just to get here… And here I am. Heh. I can't believe I was such a fangirl~"

Theodore wagged his tail again. "I could believe it! We were a whole lot more popular then." He said proudly, sticking out his chest a little. "I really did like you from the first moment I saw you… Heck, I would have even been your fan! And I still think I'm dreaming when I get to wake up next to you." He hummed, letting his head rest down on her stomach once again, sighing. "And now here we are…"

"And you're happy about it… right?" Eleanor asked. Her tail reached to curl with Theodore's, a wave of relief washing over her as he did the same thing.

"I can't even make the words to explain it." answered Theodore, turning so he could bump his nose on hers. "But I do know that I wanna help you out as much as I can! Even if your nest is already done."

Eleanor put a paw to her chin, pretending to think hard on it. "You know what? I think there's something you can do to make it a whole lot better."

Theodore's ears perked up, listening intently. "Yeah? What's that?"

And then, Eleanor pulled him closer, kissing him right on the lips. His eyes were wide in an instant, and Theodore melted before he returned the favor, his paws resting on Eleanor's shoulders. When they separated, she gestured to the spot right at her side.

"Stay here, eat snacks with me, and keep rubbing my stomach every now and then. I'll do the same for you!"

"Well… I think I can do that no problem~" Theodore replied, quickly taking his spot and putting his paw to her belly, rubbing around slowly as his cheek squished up against hers.

"Something told me you'd be alright with it." Eleanor rested her head on his shoulder, turning her attention to the TV screen. She didn't feel any kicks now. And having Theodore close just made her feel nice and warm. He really would make for a good dad.


End file.
